ACTOR-TURNED-POLITICIAN Shatrughan Sinha asserted on Thursday that he would not abandon TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in difficult times, saying she had stood by him when he was going through a challenging phase in his political career. In an exclusive interview with PTI, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from West Bengal’s Asansol said some people may have left Banerjee due to compulsions, fears or allurements, but his principled stand is that he would neither desert the party nor its leader. “I am issuing a three-line whip to myself -- I was with the TMC and Mamata ji, I am with the TMC and Mamata ji, and I will stay with the TMC and Mamata ji. I have no intention of going anywhere,” he said. A three-line whip is typically issued by political parties before voting on important issues in Parliament. Sinha’s assertion came after his name featured in a purported list of rebel TMC MPs circulating online. Will leave if Mamata can’t run party without Abhishek: Kalyan KOLKATA, June 11 (IANS) AMID the widening rift within the Trinamool Congress, MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee on Thursday attacked party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee for his “arrogance” and “misbehaviour” and warned he could quit if party supremo Mamata Banerjee felt that she could not run it without her nephew. Kalyan Banerjee’s outburst came after he was allegedly not informed about a separate petition filed by another lawyer in the Diamond Harbour MP’s case before the Calcutta High Court.

 

Inappropriate to abandon a sinking ship: Babul Supriyo KOLKATA, June 11 (IANS) AS MAMATA Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) battles turmoil within and faces ouster of legislators as well as Parliamentarians, a month after the recent West Bengal Assembly poll defeat, the beleaguered party found support from one of its Rajya Sabha MPs Babul Supriyo. Supriyo on Thursday issued a small video message on social media platform X and said in clear terms that he was neither joining any party nor any faction, apparently referring to the rebel bloc proposed by the MPs quitting the TMC. Supriyo’s video message comes as a major respite for the embattled Mamata Banerjee and TMC as she has been struggling to keep the flock together, though with little success. “Amidst all this confusion and rumours, I just wish to make it amply clear that I am neither joining any other faction nor any party,” the Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP is heard saying in the video. “It’s inappropriate to abandon a ship when it is in troubled waters,” said the Rajya Sabha MP, who was previously with the Bharatiya Janata Party and also served in key positions. Pratima Mondal denies being part of rebel group KOLKATA, June 11 (PTI) TRINAMOOL Congress MP Pratima Mondal on Thursday denied reports linking her to a group of rebel Parliamentarians allegedly seeking to distance themselves from the party, asserting that her name was being falsely dragged into the ongoing political turmoil triggered by a series of resignations by TMC leaders.